It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that I love horror anthologies almost as much as I love the spooky season, so such a picture with a Halloween theme is clearly appealing to me. With that in mind, it's fair to say that while I loved Trick r' Treat, I may have liked Tales of Halloween even more. This clever and entertaining spookshow is comprised of ten stories from ten different directors, and I don't think that any of these tales are misfires. A few are legitimately creepy, with Dave Parker's "Sweet Tooth" and Axelle Carolyn's "Grimm Grinning Ghost" each delivering serious jolts. Some are more than a little silly, with Mike Mendez's "Friday the 31st" and Andrew Kasch's "This Means War" feeling a lot like spoofs. Some are difficult to classify, like Paul Solet's "The Weak and The Wicked," which allows Grace Phipps to summon her inner Clint Eastwood in a nifty horror/western hybrid. "The Night Billy Raised Hell" is my favorite entry--director Darren Lynn Bousman and screenwriter Clint Sears wisely gave Barry Bostwick the opportunity to have a devilish good time in this wicked laugh riot with a perfect ending. Neil Marshall's "Bad Seed" closes out the show in style, but I was honestly expecting a bit more from his segment. All things considered, Tales of Halloween is a terrific flick that was clearly crafted by talented people with a lot of love for both the horror genre and this ghoulish time of year. Having Adrienne Barbeau narrate the picture as a DJ was a cool nod to her role as Stevie Wayne in The Fog, and she did a terrific job of weaving all these groovy tales together. In closing, rest assured that anyone who digs this time of year will not view this kooky collection as a trick, but as an awesome treat.
Final Grade: A
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| I thought each of these Tales of Halloween had something unique to offer, but seeing Barry Bostwick have such a blast in "The Night Billy Raised Hell" was the highlight of the show. |
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